Letters: Who are those guys on TV?

Sept. 26, 2014 4:44 PM PT

After holding Vin Scully hostage to film their self-promoting commercial that ran during televised Dodgers games all week, I’d like to thank Time Warner Cable for releasing him unharmed.

Larry Yells

Hermosa Beach

So TWC blesses the other 70% of Los Angeles by “allowing” KDOC to televise the last six Dodgers games of the season. In between innings, they’re shoving their product down our throats with commercials begging us non-TWC subscribers to make the switch. You are No. 1 in my book, TWC, but I’ll give you one guess as to which finger I’m using to saluting you.

Dave Eng

Thousand Oaks

Time Warner Cable showed some compassion by throwing us a bone and televising the final six Dodgers games of the season, which included the division-clinching game Wednesday night. TWC thinking they can throw a Band-Aid over a deep gash that they created all season long is arrogant and ridiculous.

Matthew D. Kerster

Gardena

Did Time Warner Cable hire Donald T. Sterling to design its newspaper ads? They sure look familiar, and just as believable.

Ned Shapiro

Brentwood

Great value

The debate over Clayton Kershaw as MVP is easily resolved: Is there an “everyday” player on any team in the National League the Dodgers would trade Kershaw for, straight up? No. Would every other team trade their best “everyday” player for Kershaw, one-for-one? Yes, without hesitation. Argument over.

Cy Bolton

Rancho Cucamonga

OK, there’s no debate about Kershaw’s ability or stats, but I still don’t think it’s fair to give a pitcher the MVP award since a position player can’t win the Cy Young. Besides, there are some great players who certainly deserve consideration. My first pick would be Dee Gordon. Does anybody think the Dodgers would be where they are without him? No way.

Ed Masciana

Torrance

Clayton Kershaw is a terrific pitcher, most likely the best in the game today. But anyone who thinks he’s as good as Koufax in his prime is either too young to have seen Sandy pitch or too old to have a fully functioning memory.

Ben Browdy

Los Angeles

Stories collide

On Tuesday, Vin Scully once again told the story about Jackie Robinson running over Giants second baseman Davey Williams covering first base in a 1955 Dodgers-Giants game at Ebbets Field and then Giants shortstop Alvin Dark running over Jackie at third base a couple of innings later in retaliation. Both times I’ve heard him tell it, Scully ends the story by saying, “Of course, Jackie held onto the ball.”

I saw that game and Scully is dead wrong. In fact, Robinson dropped the ball and Dark was safe. I well remember Dark leading off third, and the game had to be stopped again because the two were still jawing at each other. Scully also fails to mention that because of the collision at first base with Jackie, Davey suffered a spinal injury that effectively ended his career at 28. Ironically, unlike Jackie (who wasn’t injured by Dark), Davey held onto the ball, despite how seriously he was injured.

Vinny is the greatest broadcaster in history. I hope this will refresh his memory.

Tony Medley

Los Angeles

Ask Bill

Normally, when I want advice on parenting from the L.A. Times, I go to the wise “Ask Amy” column, usually found next to the crossword puzzle. But now we have Papa Plaschke, discoursing on Yasiel Puig’s lack of maturity and tempestuous nature, both of which, along with other defects of character, Papa thinks could, maybe, in some odd way, cost the Dodgers a championship. Puig’s failing? He got mad when a Giants pitcher hit him. In other times, that would be “chippy” or “tough” or even “leadership.”

One thing for Papa to remember is that old people are usually irritated about younger ones because the old folks really do know better a lot of the time, but they also know that the young ones are never going to listen. Read “Ask Amy”; she knows her stuff.

Phil Brimble

Los Angeles

Red alert

Sure, C.J. Wilson’s four walks and six runs in less than an inning stunk up the joint this week.

But gee, his hair smelled terrific!

Sue Dunham

Long Beach

When the Angels get knocked out of the playoffs, which will happen because of their mediocre pitching, who will be blamed — Moreno, Dipoto or Scioscia?

Ralph S. Brax

Lancaster

Boy, there’s no joy in reading letters with sour grapes like Erik Schuman’s complaint about the Angels’ celebration for clinching the NL West. He blames them for overreacting like they’ve already won the World Series. Speaking as a lifelong Angels fan, both the team and the fans have every right to celebrate this milestone. We went decades before making it to the World Series and now that we’ve tasted victory, we like it. We want more of it. And if the team cares enough to share their excitement and happiness with the fans who were lucky enough to be there that night, who are you to criticize?

Veronica Ross

Garden Grove

Shame on Jameis

After being suspended for one game, Jameis Winston apologizes to his team but never mentions those he insulted. Clearly he is not sorry other than disappointing his teammates. Then he shows up fully equipped? That said, why did the team, NCAA and ACC allow him on the sidelines to lend support to his team.

Bruce N. Miller

Playa del Rey

It appears Jameis Winston is mentally ready to transition to the NFL where he can up his game(s) to the next level.

Wes Correll

Monarch Beach

I am deeply disappointed in ABC for repeatedly showing Jameis Winston on the sidelines during the Clemson-Florida State game. Instead of glorifying him, the right thing would have been to send a strong message to young viewers by ignoring his presence altogether.

Paul L. Hovsepian

Sierra Madre

The hot seat

After watching Roger Goodell’s news conference, I have one question: Is this mediocre “yes man” the best that the NFL billionaires’ $44 million a year can buy?

Jonathan Kaplan

Studio City

And just think, poor Pete Rose, all he did was gamble!

Frances Sikorski

Porter Ranch

DJ’s last spin

That was one classy Hollywood ending for the class act that is Derek Jeter. One can only hope that several unnamed Dodgers players used their day off to watch, listen and learn a thing or two about class. As Karl Malden said, “Don’t leave home without it.”

Marty Foster

Ventura

Enough with the Derek Jeter love fest. He’s had a very good career and he should make the Hall of Fame, but the way people are acting you’d think Babe Ruth was retiring.

Rob Osborne

Manhattan Beach

Careful, guys

Why was Brett Hundley even in the game, let alone running the ball, with UCLA ahead of Arizona State 55-27 in the fourth quarter?

Most Heisman voters probably were already asleep, and imagine the nightmares Jim Mora would have had if Hundley reinjured his elbow.

Gerry Swider

Sherman Oaks

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